


Just Like a Dream

by KatieComma



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: 100 percent absolute fluff, Billy and Riley are still together cause OF COURSE THEY ARE, Fluff, James actually does something right, M/M, NO SMUT AGAIN!, Total Fluff, WEDDING CUTENESS, sappy coma inducing fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 18:00:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21450397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: A set of moments from Mac and Jack getting married on the Dalton Family Ranch.
Relationships: Billy Colton/Riley Davis (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lavendersblues (lonely_lovebird)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonely_lovebird/gifts), [Orianess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orianess/gifts).

> Thank you to the wonderful lavendersblues for letting me play with Ranchverse!!! I LOVE IT SOOO MUCH!!!
> 
> Thank you to Orianess for inspiring this wonderful little surprise.
> 
> All the credit for Mama Dalton and the Ranch goes to lavendersblues who created it in the fic Deep in the Heart of Texas (which is a MUST read, if you haven't read it)
> 
> Part 1 was originally posted as a drabble on Tumblr.

Mac never gets to be gentle, never gets to feel…

But there are moments; moments when he can relax and feel the things he wants to feel.

These days all of those moments are with Jack.

So Mac settles back into the big porch swing overlooking the ranch, his arm wrapped around Jack’s shoulders… and he just feels.

The sun has just set. Little white lights are strung up in the trees, and all around the big barn for the party tomorrow. The ranch glows.

“It’s beautiful,” Mac says, and then remembers that he’s safe and allowed to feel with Jack, and tacks on: “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jack says softly, before his voice takes on urgency: “you know Mama’s gonna tan our hides if she catches us. She’s a stickler: not allowed to see the bride the night before the wedding.” Despite his words he doesn’t move to leave, just snuggles closer under Mac’s arm causing the swing to creak.

Mac giggles quietly, cause Jack’s right, Mama would be pissed, and Mac doesn’t want to wake her. “Which one of us is the bride exactly?”

Jack turns his face up to Mac. He looks drunk he’s so relaxed. “Don’t know, don’t care,” Jack says before he kisses Mac. It’s a kiss for the ages, with every emotion: starting chaste and innocent and then opening wide to turn passionate before ending almost as it had begun: comfortable and familiar.

“Jack Wyatt Dalton!” Mama’s voice echoes from inside. “If that’s Angus MacGyver out there with you I’m gonna tan both your hides!”

“Gotta go baby,” Jack whispers as he jumps out of the porch swing. He gets a few feet away before he comes back for a quick peck on the cheek. “See you tomorrow handsome.”

Jack slips back into the house spouting excuses, while Mac looks out at the ranch and feels.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac is getting cold feet, and James actually parents.

Mac can’t do it. It’s too much. 

He loves Jack, that’s not the problem. But he stole a glance at the guest list, and it’s bigger than he’d expected. There are so many people. Mac can’t stand up in front of that many people and be expected to put his feelings into words.

The world feels like it’s narrowing to one fine point, going black around the edges. Mac’s hyperventilating, he knows the symptoms: rushed breathing, light headedness, blurry vision.

He sits down on the hard old wooden chair and puts his head between his knees, ripping apart his bow tie so he can breathe easier.

The little bedroom of the Dalton ranch house is quaint, no unnecessary comforts, and Mac lets his world narrow down to the room he’s in. Nothing can hurt him here, no expectations put on him; just old walls, an antique dresser, a creaky bed frame and the hard wooden chair he’s seated on. Mac breathes deep the comforting smells of an old home and his vision returns to normal. 

They should have eloped.

There’s a knock at the door. Mac startles and checks his watch. How long has he been hiding away? Is he late? He told them he needed a few minutes just himself.

The knock comes again.

“Uh, yeah, hold on,” Mac says, trying to settle his nerves so his emotional disarray won’t be noticeable. “Be right there.”

“It’s just me,” James’ voice comes through the door. “Can I come in?”

Mac sighs. With all the stuff he’s dealing with, he’s not looking forward to any drama with his dad. Jack’s the one being walked down the aisle, so James was just supposed to sit in the crowd and look proud. Not hard. But now he's here at Mac's door when he's feeling most vulnerable.

“Yeah, of course,” Mac says, waving at the door as though James can see him.

The door opens just enough for James to slip through and close it again. He raises his eyebrows at Mac. “That Linda, she’s on everybody’s case to keep you two apart until this thing happens,” he says. He looks Mac up and down. “Need help with your tie? It’s almost time.”

Mac just nods. Unsure of what to say, how this should play out.

James comes close, and reaches for the tie.

Mac stands still, looking up at the ceiling. This awkward father and son moment is just that, and Mac has no idea how to react or what to say or what to do.

“Breathe Angus,” James says. It’s not a quip, or a joke, it’s actual advice.

Mac has been holding his breath, and he lets it out in a whoosh and then takes in a lungful of fresh air. He’s a mess. What a mess. His vision is starting to narrow again, and then James starts talking.

“I know you love Jack, I know that’s not the problem. So what’s going on son?” His dad coughs after all that verbal display of emotion, like he could cough up the feelings like a sickness and be done with it.

“I’m no good at this,” Mac admits. “It makes me... uncomfortable to stand up in front of people and be...”

“Emotional?” James guesses correctly. “Same thing happened to me. I didn’t see the point of all this tradition. Why do we have to prove to anyone else that we care? Us knowing was enough for me. But it wasn’t just about me, and you know what got me through it?”

Mac shakes his head.

“Your mother. I stopped thinking about having to stand up in front of all those people, stopping thinking about what I was feeling, and I thought about how much I wanted to show her off. I wanted to stand up there and say: this person chose me, and look how amazing she is, can you believe it?” James is suddenly quiet. “That day was proof that I deserved her. If I could make it through that day for her, then we could get through anything.”

James is still focused on getting the tie right, twisting it this way and that now that it’s all looped together; trying to make it perfect for his son’s wedding day.

And Mac can breathe, he really can. His vision is fine, he doesn’t feel dizzy. He can do this for Jack.

“Thanks,” Mac says softly. He doesn’t add “dad” because he’s not ready for that yet.

James pats him softly on the shoulder. “I’m gonna go...” he trails off and motions to the door. “You sure you’re alright?”

Mac nods. He really is now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big moment!

Mac stands casually; he can’t find it in himself to clasp his hands in front and be stiff and formal. It’s just not him. It’s not Jack. It wouldn’t be right. So, instead, he stands all loose limbs, trying to be as relaxed as possible while he waits for Jack at the front of a small crowd of friends and family seated in the big barn. 

It definitely helps that Bozer is standing next to him. Grounding him.

They stand together, and talk about little things and Mac tries to forget that the eyes of 50 or so guests are on him.

_Do it for Jack_, he chants in his head, the mantra of the day, _it’s for Jack._

“I’m really glad we didn’t do the bachelor party last night,” Bozer says beside him, keeping to their unspoken agreement to avoid talking directly about the event that’s just about to take place. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been that drunk in my whole life. I wouldn’t be standing up right now.”

“Right?” Mac agrees softly, “who knew Riley could throw them back like that?”

It had been a joint bachelor party, so really just a regular party. But they’d filled up the local bar with Phoenix agents and Delta’s and good old Uncle Jake. It had been a blast. Mama Dalton hadn’t approved of it. “It’s supposed to be your last night without each other,” she’d complained. They’d argued right back that they’d spent enough time being idiots without each other and they just wanted to spend the night together. She hadn’t pushed any more after that, and if her eyes got a little misty, well, Mac pretended not to notice.

“Oh, I had a feeling,” Bozer says, “but man I definitely thought I could keep up with her. Not you, you’ve never been a good drinker. But me? Bozer, the keg stand champion?”

Mac feels relaxed now. The familiar banter with Bozer making him feel like it’s just another day.

And then Worthy strums his guitar in the corner, and the officiant comes up behind Mac and signals for everyone to be quiet. And Worthy starts an epic acoustic version of Nothing Else Matters.

Mac chuckles. Jack had refused to tell him which song Worthy would play at the wedding. Kept the information top secret. And two Deltas in on a secret are impossible to crack.

But it’s perfect. It’s so Jack and Mac. And suddenly Mac feels too much. He wishes he was sharing the moment with Jack, the moment of the reveal, instead of waiting for him in front of all of these people. He’s afraid all of his emotions are laid plain on his face instead of kept inside where they should be. God he just wants Jack to hug him.

Riley comes through the big open doors of the barn first, strutting in a wicked and perfect black dress. There are no flowers in her hands. They threw out a lot of the traditional stuff. It just didn’t fit them. She winks at Billy on the way by, and comes to stand with Bozer and Mac.

Mac looks over and has a moment of giddiness. Bozer in his suit, Mac all dressed up, Riley in her killer dress; they look like they’re on an op. And the hilarity of that hits Mac like a truck and he wants to laugh loud and long, but he only lets a wide idiotic smile leak out.

“You ok dude?” Bozer asks. “You got a little bit of the crazy eyes going on.”

“I’ll tell you later, Mac whispers back, unable to wipe the grin from his face.

And then Jack rounds the corner into the barn, Mama Dalton on his arm, dressed in the beautiful champagne coloured dress she picked out while shopping with Riley. It accentuates her strength, but brings out her femininity brilliantly. She’s beautiful, and she’s dressed up just for them. For her boys.

Jack’s face is in a war between grinning and looking overly sentimental. Each emotion wins its moments, fighting back and forth.

As they get closer, Mac can see that Jack’s eyes are already misty. But that’s alright, Jack’s always worn his emotions on his sleeve. Mac loves it about him. Jack feels for both of them sometimes, when Mac just can’t get it out.

They reach the front, and Mama Dalton reaches out for Mac, pulls him in close and whispers in his ear: “I love you baby. You’ve got this.”

It’s perfect. It’s exactly what he needs.

He kisses her cheek softly, and then she takes Jack’s hand, and links it with Mac’s, giving her son away.

They step up to stand in front of the officiant, and they look into each other’s eyes. Everyone else just fades away, and Mac is left feeling like he’s standing in an empty room with Jack.

There’s a cord change in Nothing Else Matters that draws Mac back to the present, and he remembers that they’re standing in front of their friends and family staring at each other like idiots. Mac tenses up, until Jack squeezes his hand.

“I got you,” Jack whispers with a wink. “I got you man.”

Mac just nods, unsure if his voice will work. And then the guitar stops, Worthy sitting back in his chair until he needs to play the exit music.

Mac and Jack turn toward the officiant and the serious business begins.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac wakes up next to Jack...

Everything is warm and soft and Mac wonders what happened. Did he black out? Too many emotions? Too much pressure? He really hopes he didn’t ruin the wedding for Jack.

He opens his eyes slowly and sees the ceiling of his bedroom. In LA. He’s not on the ranch. And the world comes back slowly, the way it does when you’ve had a mind-altering dream. It takes him a while to come back to the real world, resurface and remember that he’s not marrying Jack today. They’re not even engaged.

But the dream leaves Mac feeling warm and perfect and happy. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but Jack was there the whole time to keep him steady, keep him grounded.

Mac turns his head on his pillow, and there’s Jack slowly blinking awake. 

“Hey handsome,” Jack says softly before he throws an arm over Mac’s stomach and pulls him close. “What’s the grin for?”

“I had a really, really good dream,” Mac says, nosing at Jack’s cheek softly.

“Yeah? What about?” Jack asks, and then before Mac can answer he adds: “Was it me? It was about me wasn’t it?”

Mac rolls his eyes, but Jack can’t see cause his are still closed.

“I will take that silence as an affirmative,” Jack says with a grin. “It was totally about me.”

Mac pauses for a moment, rolling onto his side to hug Jack tight. “Thanks Jack.”

“For what?” He asks, opening one eye and raising an eyebrow.

“For the dream,” Mac says with a soft slap to Jack’s ribs. “Cause of course it was about you.”

“Knew it,” Jack says. He quickly rolls on top of Mac, surprising him and pressing him into the mattress.

They kiss and roll and tumble, and Mac doesn’t even doubt that one day his dream will be reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I know... cheesy way to end it... but this isn't my verse, so I definitely ain't gonna steal something like the wedding and try to make it my own.
> 
> Plus I love the idea of Mac dreaming about it before it happens... 
> 
> Also: I have NO idea where all this fluffy writing is coming from lately!!! I just can't get enough sappy feels! And weddings are not usually my jam to write... but here we are.
> 
> I hope you liked it! :)


End file.
